Smile
by dancinglemur
Summary: Zuko and Iroh stop at a FireNation town in the Earth Kingdom on their way to the North Pole. While there, Zuko runs into a childhood...friend. DISCONTINUED
1. Memories

**Disclaimer – I in no way, shape or form own Avatar: The Last Airbender BUT I will not give up hope! Tori is a made-up character, therefore, I own her.**

Chap 1. The Slave Market

_/6 years ago/_

"_Uncle Iroh, where are we?" A 10-year old Zuko tugged at his Uncle's sleeve. _

"_We're at a slave market Prince Zuko."_

"_Slave market?" But Iroh would say no more as Lieutenant Zhao led them into the main square._

"_Lieutenant, this is **not** a wise idea. Zuko is not old enough to be here, let alone understand!-" But the shaved monkey in front of him cut him off._

"_General Iroh, your brother entrusted me with the safety of you and your nephew. The woods around this town are filled with bandits, so I can't-" Now it was Zhao's turn to be cut off as screams cut through the air. _

_Zuko turned his head to meet a **very** shocking sight. A girl only a year younger than him, being torn away from her sobbing mother by a group of soldiers. She reached out in vain towards the woman being dragged in the opposite direction._

"_Mama! Mama!" She shrieked._

"_Silence!" One of the soldiers holding her released her momentarily to slap her. _

_Then Zuko saw something that would haunt him the rest of his days. Tired of her constant struggle, one of the men holding the girl's mother looked to his leader, who nodded. Then the man began to burn the woman. The others joined in. The girl stopped screaming and stood and stared in shock as her mother was killed before her eyes. When it was over, a pile of ash that just vaguely resembled a human remained. The girl's eyes overflowed with tears and she yanked out of the soldier's grasp and ran towards her mother._

"_M-mama?" She reached out with a trembling hand and hesitantly touched the charred figure; it crumbled under her touch. "Mama!" The girl began to cry again as the soldiers dragged her away. This time, she let them. Zuko stretched his neck to watch the girl's receding figure as long as he could, before his Uncle tugged on him and told him to hurry up. _

_/Later that day/ _

_Zhao led us to the front of a crowd that had gathered around a stage with a large wooden box at its center. I gasped as a man dressed only in a ragged pair of pants, with an iron collar and his hands chained behind his back was shoved up onto the box. Another man, this one from the Fire Nation, the auctioneer, yelled out to the crowd,_

"_This strapping young man has come straight from the front line. He's a non-bender with a huge temper. He's a good worker, but the only problem is getting him to work!" The crowd laughed along with the auctioneer, who then began to start the bidding. _

_It was horrible._

"_Lieutenant, I wanna go home-"_

"_Silence boy." The man was sold to a fat old man, who led his prize off on a leash, like a dog. _

"_Uncle Iroh, how can people be so mean?" Uncle looked down at me with regret._

"_I don't know Prince Zuko. I don't know." Then the girl from before was shoved up onto the box._

_She stared straight ahead, looking at no one. But her brave face was ruined by her trembling chin and the tears running down her face. _

"_This lovely young lady was captured at a village near Ba-Sing-Sae. Don't let her age or size fool you. Her temper's even worse then the last guys!" I gasped, he was **taunting** the girl! _

_But the girl just ignored him and continued to stare off into space. I noticed something strange about her hands; it was almost like they were-_

"_We don't know if the girl's a bender yet, but she's quite the looker…for her age that is." Then the girl whirled around and punched the announcer in the face. _

_Hands free, she leaped off of the box and into the crowd. On impulse, I ran after her, pushing through the crowd and yelling,_

"_Get out of my way!" Most adults, when they saw who I was, backed off._

_I smirked. It was so cool being a prince. Unfortunately, I lost sight of the girl. Then my boot got stuck in the mud. As I tried to pull it out, I heard someone scream,_

"_Look out!" I lifted my head and screamed. _

_A runaway wagon was headed straight for me. I tried and tried to get my foot out of the mud, but it wouldn't budge. Then, just as the wagon was about to hit me, something rammed into me, pushing me out the mud and into an alley. The girl from before sat back a few feet form me and bluntly informed me,_

"_You scream like a girl." I turned red._

"_Shut up." The girl tsked me. _

"_Now, is that anyway to talk to the person who just saved your life? Would it kill you to say 'thank you'?" _

"_Thank you." I mumbled. _

_I wasn't happy about it. The girl beamed._

"_There now. That wasn't too hard was it?" Then someone yelled,_

"_Prince Zuko!" _

"_Uh oh. Gotta go. See ya Zuky!" She ran off, leaving me staring after her in shock, covered in mud. _

_Uncle Iroh rushed over to me._

"_Prince Zuko! Are you alright!" I brushed him off._

"_I'm fine Uncle. Let's go." Then we head a scream of pain and I ran off again._

_I found the girl lying on the ground, holding her right arm, which had a long bloody scratch along it. In front of her stood Zhao's rhino, which had her blood on one of its horns. Then rhino lowered its head and began to charge. Now it was my turn to save the girl. I grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her out of the way._

"_Th-thanks." She gasped. Then we heard Zhao yell,_

"_Prince Zuko! Get out of the way!" He was on his rhino, which was charging out of control towards us._

_At least, it **looked** like it was out of control, but I could see that Zhao was actually steering the rhino towards us. I grabbed the girl's hand and we ran through the alleys. Finally, we lost Zhao. Breathing heavily, we left the market and stopped at the edge of the forest._

"_Thanks Zuko." I took a red-gold scarf out of my bag and tied around her arm, wincing as her blood soaked through my mother's scarf._

_I didn't know why I was giving this **peasant** one of my most prized possessions, but it just seemed…right. _

"_No problem. But now we're even ok?" The girl smiled at me._

"_OK!" She started to walk into the forest, but turned back and called out,_

"_Just so ya know, I'm Tori!" Then she walked off into the forest and I went to go find Uncle._

_/End Flashback/_

Prince Zuko sat up in his bed, breathing hard and covered in cold sweat. _I haven't had that dream in a **long** time. _He looked out the small window his room had. _I wonder why I had it now…_

-----

"Tori! You lazy girl! What are you doing staring off into space! There's work to be done you lazy child!" Tori snapped out of her flashback and sighed.

"Yes Melissa!" Tori turned her back to the kitchen door and muttered under her breath, "Wotta prick…"

"I heard that!" A wooden spoon came flying out of the kitchen. Tori did a Matrix to dodge in and popped back up, yelling,

"Nyah! Missed me!" Tori stuck her tongue out at the furious 40-year-old woman who emerged from the kitchen.

The woman began to chase the screaming 15-year old around the yard with her muddy wooden spoon, much to the amusement of bystanders and the other kitchen girls.

**Whoop! My first Fanfic! victory dance R+R!**


	2. Guess what? MORE MEMORIES!

**A/N: YAY! I GOT A REVIEW! WHOO! Special thanks to divinedragon7! (I love your name) I GOT 78 HITS! WHOOO! (Not to change to subject…) And now, ahemidonotinanyway,shape,orformownAvatar:theLastAirbender. Thank you very much. collapses form oxygen-deprivation**

Guess what? MORE MEMORIES!

"TORI! You lazy wench! Go get more water!" Tori looked up from her current chore of mucking the rhino stalls and sighed,

"Yes Melissa…as if I didn't have enough to do already…" But in reality, Tori was grateful for any chance to get away from the horrid things. (After being wounded by one, she's had this awful fear of them.)

Tori picked up two wooden buckets and walked into the forest that surrounded the Fire Nation town/port Tori was enslaved in.

Walking down the path, Tori's mind wandered once more to her most thought of topic: escape. She frowned, hating herself for being recaptured after only a month of freedom.

_/FLASHBACK/_

_Tori hiked through the forest, humming and just enjoying being free. The only draw-back was her stupid collar. Tori **hated** that thing with a passion, as did all the slaves she had known. It was only one such thing that the cruel slave owners used to degrade and break their slaves. Tori had tried to take it off with a sharp rock a few days back, since she had no bending skills **what-so-ever**, but had only succeeded in giving herself a light cut. _

_Her thoughts were interrupted when she came upon a small stream. With a grateful sigh, she sat on a rock and dipped her bare feet in the water._

_A small red bird landed on her shoulder._

"_Hello Mr. Bird." The bird chirped back, surprising a chuckle out of Tori._

"_So you can understand me?" Silence._

"_Of course you can't. You're just a bird! Ah, oh well." Tori and the bird sat in silence for a moment._

_Suddenly, Tori broke the silence by wondering aloud,_

"_I wonder how Zuko's doing. It was awful nice o' him ta help me..." Tori trailed off into silence that was sharply broken as a man in Fire Nation armor walked out of the bushes. Tori stiffened, petrified in fear as the solider looked at her in surprise._

_Then he noticed her collar. _

"_Runaway slave!" He yelled, and the clearing swarmed with soldiers. _

_Tori said a word that a 9-year old shouldn't have known, and ran off into the trees. _

_She ran for what felt like hours, lungs burning and feet aching, but she didn't dare slow down. Finally, Toru could run no more and collapsed, rolling down a hull and coming to rest under a bush. She held her breath as the soldiers raced by, then slowly exhaled._

_Then her bush caught on fire. _

_Tori screamed, and wiggled out from under the burning bush and sat panting a few feet away. Suddenly, someone grabbed Tori by her waist-long hair, and ignoring her screams of pain and fury, bound her hands and feet and threw her over the back of a rhino. As they rode out of the mountains, Tori thought dryly, _

_What a wonderful birthday present._


	3. Surprises! redone

**2ND EDITION! THERE R ONLY 1 OR 2 REVISIONS, BUT THERE IS A NEW NOTE AT THE BOTTOM! SO READ AGAIN!**

**A/N: Much thanxs 2 divinedragon7 and Nilikeye and phantom of the rock era and Raaon Teisha and Darkarashi! I feel so loved! Thanx ta all of y'all, u helped me get my inspiration back! YOU ROCK! WARNING! THERE WILL BE CUSSING IN THIS CHAPPIE! U HAVE BEEN WARNED! DOO DOO! **

Surprise!

Tori walked through the forest, enjoying the silence. A soft rushing announced that she was drawing close to the river. Tori cleared the trees and looked around, making sure there where no wild rhinos around. When she saw none, she walked down to the riverbed and filled her first bucket. As she leaned over to fill her other one, she heard a snort. Slowly, she looked up.

It was a rhino.

A TAME rhino.

With 2 Fire-Nation guys on it's back.

"WOAH!" Tori fell back onto her butt in the mud, her bucket bobbing along down the river.

Time seemed to slow down as Tori and the two men just stayed where they were and stared at each other.

_Calm down Tori. They can't hurt you. Wait…where's the other bucket? _Tori frantically looked around for the other bucket. It was snagged on a root in the middle of the river. _Crap. _

Glancing once more at the men, Tori pulled herself out of the mud and ran down the river-side towards her bucket.

**A FEW MINUTES EARLIER**

Zuko sighed.

_This armor is so dam hot! How do all those men wear this all the time? _It wasn't the amour itself that bothered me. Just the helmet. _I can't see **anything!** _But the helmet was necessary.

As it turned out, people were…_les than corporative _when they found out he was the banished Price. _So, Uncle suggested_ _I wear a helmet so no one recognizes me. But this still sucks. _WE came out of the tree line to see a river.

I halted the rhino, looking for a shallow place to cross.

Then I saw something I had not expected to see.

A girl about a year younger than me poked her head out of the trees on the opposite bank. Seeing nothing, she made her way down to the river and began to fill up one of her two buckets. Seeing the iron collar, bracelets and anklet she wore, I stiffened. Even after living more than my life in a palace, I still hadn't gotten used to seeing slaves.

Then the rhino snorted and the girl slowly looked up.

Her deep, emerald green eyes locked with mine and she fell back onto her rear with a yelp of surprise. We stayed like that for gods know how long, just staring at each other. Then the girl began to frantically look around for something. Suddenly, she got up and ran down the side of the river, headed towards her other bucket.

I vaulted off of the rhino and, ignoring Uncle's protests, waded across the river and ran after the girl. W_tf are you doing this! _I screamed at myself. But, how could I reply to a question I didn't know the answer to?

The girl tried to stop, only sliding into a tree.

"Oww." She muttered, before grabbing onto a branch and reaching out for her bucket.

"You're gonna fall." The girl sent a glare at me.

"Am not." Tongue stuck out of her mouth in concentration, the girl reached out, finger cm from the pail.

Then the branch snapped, sending the girl flying forward to land in the water with a large SPLASH!

Smirking behind the skeleton mask, I waded in again and picked the girl up by her arm.

"Told ya." She spit out a little fountain of water before glaring up at me from underneath her soaking wet brown hair.

"thanks, I guess…" She muttered under her breath before filling up the soaking bucket.

Remembering that Uncle and I needed a place to stay for a few days while the ship was being repaired. I had had a little…_argument_ with some of the men earlier and I didn't think Lieutenant Ji's eyebrows would _ever_ grow back. I allowed myself a smirk before reaching out and grabbing the girl's wrist.

I felt her stiffen.

"Look girl, we need a place to stay. Any help would be appreciated." The girl sighed and blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"Follow me." As she walked away, I noticed an expensive-looking gold-trimmed red scarf tied around the girl's right arm.

It was mothers.

"Girl-"

"Tori."

"What?" _It **is** her!_

"Tori. Not 'girl'. Tori." Tori walked off into the woods, stopping when I didn't follow.

"Come _on_. I haven't got all day." She walked off with out a glance back and Uncle and I hurried after her.

All the way out of the woods, the girl kept giving our rhino nervous glances. I sighed.

"He's not going to hurt you gi-_Tori._ There's no rabid monkeys around this time." Tori stopped and stared at me, green eyes wide and her mouth in an 'O' of surprise.

"You-_You! _You're Zuko!" behind the mask, I raised my eyebrow.

"You noticed."

"Well, you're still as annoying as ever. Nice to know _that_ hasn't changed." She mumbled as we walked onto a muddy road.

We headed for the large wood and stone in the middle of town. Tori stopped in front of the door.

"This is as far as I go. Go through these doors and talk to the woman behind the desk. She'll take you to your rooms." Then she winced when a woman's shriek cut through the air.

"TORI! WHERE'S THAT WATER!"

"COMING MELISSA!" Tori screamed right back, then flashed us a smile.

"See ya," She smiled evilly and I groaned. _Not good._ "ZuZu." Then, laughing manically, she ran around the corner before I could fry her.

**HAHAHAHA! I COULDN'T RESIST! "ZuZu" -falls off chair in laughter- Also, OMFG! BUMI! NOOOOOOO! and zuko, luv his new 'do. R&R! **


	4. what a surprise

**A/N: ok, I've decided that you peeps that READ my story but don't REVIEW (and those wonderful peeps who do) cuz seriously, I have like, almost 400 hits, but only 17 review. Come ON people! But you've all waited long enough for the newest chappie. So, I'm here to tell you, I'm DISCONTINUING IT!**

**Zuko: …**

**Me: HAH! APRIL FOOLS!  
**

**Zuko: you baka. You're 5 days late.**

**Me: -Gaara glare- (if u don't know who Gaara is, shame on u! read more Naruto!) shut it baka. –Claps hands- and now, THE DISCLAIMER! Zuko, -cracks knuckles-**

**Zuko: baka… -WHAP!- Ouch. –Rubs head- dancinglemur does not own ATLA. If she did, -shivers- be afraid.**

**Me: and so you know, **_this is normal Tori thinking _**and _this is her other side._ She has a spilt personality.**

**Zuko: like you?**

**Me: yes like me-wait! THAT WAS MEAN! –Chases Zuko around with heavy, blunt object- and also, soon I'm gonna put up the first chappie of Show Hoppers. It's on my profile, which currently sucks so I'm gonna change it. Chow!**

A Change of Views

_Wow…I haven't seen him in what? 6 years?_

_**Yah. He's hot.**_

_Wha! –Blushes- You're crazy!_

_**You just insulted yourself. Brilliant. **_

_Shu- shut up! You're the one that made us eat a WHOLE STINKIN' BAG of Fire Flakes at the last festival just cuz that boy dared us._

_**So? **_

'_So'! We could only have water and that **disgusting** oatmeal that Melissa makes for a whole stinking WEEK! _

**_Well—_**whap!-

"OWWW! MELISSA! What was that for!" Tori whined, holding her head.

"You were spacing off again."

Up in his room, Zuko looked down at the scene unfolding below him and cracked a small smile.

"TORI!"

"TORI! STOP!" A malicious Tori was chasing the cook around the courtyard, throwing things at her, despite the other girls trying to stop her.

**-LATER-**

Tori lounged against the kitchen wall, bored out of her mind and _extremely_ pissed.

"Do I even _want_ to know why you're over here?" Melissa groaned when she saw Tori's seriously pissed off face.

"Nope."

"Why are you in here?" Tori glared at Melissa.

"I thought you didn't want to know."

"Who ever told you that?" Tori blinked in surprise.

"You did…"

"I did no such thing."

"You suffer from short term memory loss."

"Do not. You've broken 25 glasses, 5 high heels, 2 windows and 8 trays in the last month."

"9."

"9 what?"

"Trays." Tori stuck her hands into her pockets and walked off, passing Melissa's daughter Emily on the way in.

"Mama! Mama! Tori-! Tori-!"

"Calm down honey. What did Tori do?"

"She-she-!" Now Tammy, another one of the slaves and Tori's best friend, came, laughing hysterically, through the kitchen doors.

"Tori-! Tori-!" She broke down laughing.

"TORI!" Melissa's scream could be heard throughout the entire inn.

"Yeeesssss?"

"What. Did. You. Do?" The look on Melissa's face promised a long and painful death if any lying was evolved. Tori took a deep breath.

"ThispervertIwasservinggrabbedmybutt, soIturned, brokemytrayoverhisheadandbeatthecrapoutofhim." She finished and ran out of the room, Tammy close behind. **(A/N: If you understood that, congratulations**. **You get an imaginary cookie. Enjoy.) **

**-IN THE DINNING ROOM-**

Zuko had his head in his hands, mumbling,

"Oh. My. God." Iroh was laughing.

They had witnessed the entire scene, along with a restaurant full of people, and from the chatter and laughter, they could tell that Tori's outbursts were almost daily, and a lot of people just came to see them.

Linelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline

**A/N: That whole "line" and this chap was fun 2 write! Sorry it was so short. (only 2 pages long.) Also, Show Hoppers _will_ have Sam in it, and for those of u who don't know, Sam is the one who cuts. The story will be partially based on that and hwo my friend Lizzie and I deal with it. R&R!**


	5. The Meeting

**A/N: I'M SOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOORRRRRRRYYYYYYYY!** **I just today got back from a WEEK at my grandma's house, where there is no cable, but, I taped the episode! And, there's also no computer. –pouts- and b4 THAT, I had writer's block AGAIN. BUT! That's over now! AND! I HAVE AWESOME NEWS! –deep breath- SAM STOPPED CUTTING! WHOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! AND NOW! WITHOUT FURTHER ADO! THE CHAPPIE!**

**Actually, I'm not done yet. 'Zuko Alone' was friggin _awesome_! Azula was messed up from the beginning. GO ZUKO'S MOM! She's cool! And Ozai, I think the reason we haven't seen his face yet is cuz it's all burned and stuff. He deserves it 2. –sticks tongue out at Ozai.- **

**Ozai: -growls- -hands ignite-**

**dl: -gulps- ok! Bye! –runs off screaming- **

**Disclaimer: same**

**(dancinglemur talking to readers)**

(character talking to readers)

_character's thoughts_

_-sound effect! - _

**-SCENE CHANGE-**

The Meeting

**-MIDNIGHT-**

For some odd reason, Zuko woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep. So, as he had always done on his ship when he couldn't sleep, he got up, got dressed in what _might have been_ his only pair of non-armorish/ninjaish comfy clothes, black training pants and a sleeveless white shirt with black flames licking the bottom and armholes. He then silently slipped out of the room he was sharing with his uncle. Though, he could have stomped his way out and you _still_ wouldn't be able to hear him over Iroh's snores.

ANYWAYS! In a few moments, the prince was hopelessly lost in the maze that was the inn.

_Dam! There is no way this place is so big! _Zuko hissed inside his mind, kicking a wall in frustration.

Imagine his surprise when the wall, or rather, secret door, swung open silently, revealing a corridor with a whole lotta doors.

So, being bored out of his mind (and slightly curious) he wandered silently down the hall. After about 5 seconds, he noticed writing on the doors. Leaning in close to one, he saw, under a little sliding panel that could be opened from the inside so the occupant could see who was at their door, was a little nameplate.

His head tilted to the side. _Oh. This must be where the slaves live._ And with that thought in mind, Zuko turned right back around and headed for the exit.

Or, where the exit was supposed to be.

There was just a wall.

_It-it closed! How am I supposed to get out! _Zuko thought frantically, looking for someway out.

Suddenly, he saw a door on the other end f the hall and began to run (silently) down the hall towards his freedom.

Then, he almost ran into an open door.

From the inside, he could hear voices, and since the only way out was on the other side of the door, and he would be seen if he crossed the open space, Zuko listened in.

To his surprise, he heard Tori's voice. A quick look at the nameplate verified that it _was_ Tori's room.

"No. Way." Tori's disembodied voice hissed. "There is _no. Way._ I will serve that cruel, monkey-faced-mmph!" Zuko peered around the door to see a tired-looking girl, also a slave, from the iron band around her neck, had her hand across a wide-awake and angry Tori's mouth.

"Seriously Tori. Can't you just drop it!" The tired girl snapped, obviously pissed at being woken up at 1 in the morning. "That was _6 years ago_. Just drop it ok?" She yawned, getting up. "I'll see you in the morning Tor." She stumbled out of the door, and to Zuko's relief, headed in the other direction and disappeared through another open door, shutting it behind her.

From the crack in the door, Zuko could see Tori stick out her tongue at the now-closed door, before getting up to pull her own door closed.

But, she didn't close it all the way, so it didn't lock.

Zuko looked though the crack in the door, **(ya know the space where the hinges go? There) **turned bright red, and looked away.

Inside, Tori finished pulling on a green shirt like the one Zuko had seen her in yesterday. Like that one, this shirt had once had sleeves, but they had been ripped out. She pulled on a pair of earth-brown capris, and tied Zuko's scarf around her waist as a belt.

After putting away her pajamas, Tori grabbed a brown bag of a rough material, and pulled up a loose floorboard enough to get at the art supplies hidden below. She lovingly packed them into the bag and leapt silently out the window.

Outside the door, Zuko started to get up, but fell back as his legs buckled from misuse; he must have been crouching there longer than he thought.

The door fell open.

Zuko, glad to see a way out, went in, closed the door behind him and vaulted over the windowsill.

He heard a –_thunk! - _and a muffled curse and flattened himself against the wall, holding his breath. After nothing happened; no enemies leaping out, no rocks or flames flying at him; Zuko peered around the corner to see Tori, a crown bag hanging at her hip, riffling through a woodpile.

"Gotcha!" She pulled out another bag from behind the box and slung it across her shoulder so it hung on her free hip.

Zuko raised an eyebrow. **(his _only _eyebrow, actually.) **

Looking for anyone else, and seeing no one, Tori took off running into the woods. After a few moments, Zuko followed.

…

_Someone's following me._ Tori didn't look back, but began to move faster, her ears pricking up as she heard the foot-falls behind her.

_Only 1 person…about…6 feet? In shape…not an earthbender…they're too light on their feet for that…a firebender, maybe? Well, one way to find out. _Tori smirked, and then quickly slid to a stop, throwing up a small cloud of dust, then turned and sprinted off in another direction.

Behind her, Zuko sped up as well ._What is she doing? How did she know I was here! _

He ran into a clearing…to find no one. He strained is ears, but hear nothing. The whole forest was silent for a moment, before the birds began to sing again.

**-A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER-**

Tori ran into a clearing, a few moments ahead of her pursuer, grabbed the branch of a near-by tree and pulled herself up. From there, she leapt, feeling like a squirrel, to another tree, and crouched there on a slim branch that slightly bobbed under her weight, peering through the leaves as…_Prince Zuko!_ Ran into the clearing, out of breath.

Frowning, she dropped down into a sturdier branch from which the Prince would be able to see her.

"What are you doing here!" Tori demanded loudly.

Zuko whirled around, instinctively shooting out fire at the voice.

"Shit!" Tori screamed, twisting out of the way, but falling as well.

But, just like yesterday, Zuko came to the rescue, catching Tori just before she hit the ground. But, once again, like last time, Zuko was pushed away by a red Tori, along with her predicable snap of,

"I don't need your help!" Zuko smirked.

"Sure you don't. In fact, I bet you probably fell of that branch just because you felt like it." Tori continued to glare at him.

"Well you know what-!" She looked for something to say, but apparently found nothing, because her mouth opened and closed, nothing coming out. "…yes! Yes I did." She finally finished, then turned and began to walk off, only to have her hand grabbed by Zuko.

"What!" Zuko ignored to death glare he was getting.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Tori sighed, her anger melting away to be replaced by exhaustion as she flopped down on a rock and whinnied,

"The truth?" Zuko nodded, trying to keep a straight face. Tori groaned, then admitted,

"Hiding."

"What?"

"What are you? Deaf? Hiding. Hide-ing. H. I. D. I. N. G." Ignoring the insult to his intelligence. **(Just barely,) **Zuko asked,

"From who?"

"The prick."

"Who?" Tori sighed.

"Melissa, the cook."

"Oh." There was an awkward silence, which was shortly broken by Tori.

"You should get back to the inn." She said as she got up, dusting off her pants.

"What about you?" Tori smiled warmly at Zuko, who felt his face getting hot.

"I'll be fine. Now get." And Tori walked out of the clearing without a look back.

**Zuko's POV**

I sat there on a rock, watching Tori's receding back and took the opportunity to think about his "feelings" for her.

She was annoying. But in…_a good way? _Was that even possible? Apparently. She had saved his life 6 years ago…but he had paid her back by saving her own. So they were even there…but the fact that they _had_ saved each other's lives made their…_relationship…if _they had one, more…special? Than a normal one. But…Zuko couldn't help but think that maybe…_just maybe_…there was something else. After all, he had turned red when Tori smiled at him, and felt…he was uncomfortable just _thinking_ this very un-princely thought…**_warm and fuzzy_** inside.

After burying his head in his hands and groaning in embarrassment, Zuko continued to think about it.

And Tori…both times when he had caught her, she had turned red like him. Didn't that count for something?

_Ah…well, she's leaving… _Zuko quickly got up and followed after Tori's barely visible and quickly vanishing back.

**A/N: ok…4 pages. Review please! And I once again apologize for the long wait. **


	6. Paint

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. I got lost on the road of life…**

**Zuko: why are you using lines from Naruto?**

**dl: um… MOVING ON! But, GOOD NEWS! I can now watch ATLA on _50 INCHES_ of plasma-y glory! YAY!  
**

**Zuko: …what?**

**dl: oh. In Zuko-speak (cough-angsty teen-ish-cough): -deep breath- I GOT A PLASMA SCREEN TV! **

**Zuko: …right… would it be possible to get on with the story now?**

**dl: _fine_ be a party pooper. **

**Disclaimer: same**

**(dancinglemur talking to readers)**

(character talking to readers)

_character's thoughts_

_**character's other side**_

_-sound effect! – _

Paint

As Tori stalked off through the forest, she found her thoughts straying towards the Prince.

_He - he's the most infuriating person I know. _She decided. **_But…_** She stopped in her tracks at that tiny little voice in the back of her head.

_Not you again._

**_Yes. Me. _**Tori began to mentally swear as she pushed on through the forest, kicking a root and promptly tripping over it. Now her swearing became verbal as she held her throbbing head.

_WHY ARE YOU BACK!_

_**Admit it. You missed me.**_

_MISSED YOU! I never wanted you around!_

_**Well, you need me. You always turn down the guys who ask you out. **_

_Cuz-_

**_It's always,' this one's too fat' 'he's too short' 'too much hair' 'earthbender' 'waterbender'…are we detecting a pattern? _**

_I don't know what you're talking about._

**_Oh yes you do. Does…ZuZu sound familiar?_**

_-blush-_

_**I KNEW IT!  
**_

_S-shut up! _

_**You like him. Admit it.**_

_Why? He's the most egotistical, honor-obsessed, traumatized, hot - shit._

_**-insane laughter- You said it! You think he's hot! –crazy victory dance- **_

_I hate you._

**_Of course you do dear. If it makes you feel any better, I think he's hot too._**

_This coming from the thing that thought that smelly fat tub of lard that's the baker's son was hot too._

**…**

_Therefore proving my accusation that you're on crack._

**_If I'm on crack then you are too cuz I live in your head! Remember? _**

_Alright! Fine! I like him! Happy!_

_**You have no idea. Now, first-**_

_Shut up. No more insane plans. He doesn't think of me that way._

**_Says who?_**

_Says me._

_**You're in denial girl. He blushes when you're around-when you smile - both times when he saved our asses - the list goes on and on. **_

_But-_

**_And, we feel all warm when he grants us with a rare smile, no?_**

_I-_

**_When Melissa told you that he'd been seen with a water-tribe girl, you were sulking for weeks._**

_That-_

**_And, you were over-joyed when we saw him yesterday. _**

_Shut up. We're there._

Tori ran out of the forest, towards a cave. Checking again **(but not very well) **to make sure no one was behind her, she ran in.

A few moments later, Zuko ran out as well and followed her into the cave.

**Zuko POV  
**

I followed Tori into the dripping cave, a bit wary and curious as to _why_ she had decided to come _here_ of all places.

I scowled when she ducked into a smaller passageway, and cursing softly, followed her into the small tunnel.

After a few minutes –to my immense relief- she exited the tunnel and…came up in paradise.

I looked around me in wonder. How could a tropical jungle be underground! It wasn't possible!

But, apparently it was.

Tori pushed through the ferns and I waited a few moments before following.

The heat was suffocating – pressing against me – sweat stung my eyes as I pushed through the leaves and swatted away a bug.

Finally, Tori exited the jungle and I felt a breath of cold air. With confusion and relief, I peered around a...a…I believe it's called a "palm tree" to see Tori setting up an easel in front of a large, clear, crystal blue lake.

Silently, I came up to stand behind her, looking over her shoulder as she painted.

So far, it was a swirl of red, oranges and other colors found in flames. In its center was the head and shoulders of a man.

His face was bare of any features, there was no hair on his head…and he was wearing an all-to familiar suit of Fire Nation armor. _My_ Fire Nation armor.

Just as Tori raised her paint-brush, its tip a reddish orange, to where the man's left eye would be - confirming my suspicions of who it was - she suddenly put it back down and sighed.

"I thought I told you to go back to the inn," She turned around and grinned. "_ZuZu_."

I was torn between getting mad at the use of _that name_ and laughing at the paint on Tori's nose and cheeks.

So I chose a combination of both.

**TORI POV**

I stared in anger and confusion as Zuko seemed to have some kind of fit.

He kind of looked like he was constipated.

And laughing about it.

But also being pissed off at the same time.

But he still looked constipated.

That was it. I began to laugh.

I tried to stop. Really! I did!

He still looked constipated.

That was it. I fell over, laughing.

When I opened my eyes, his constipated look was gone and he just looked confused.

"I'm afraid to ask…but why are you laughing?" He slowly asked as he pulled me to my feet.

"Y-you –giggle- l-lo-lok-ked c-co-const-tipat-ted!" Zuko's brow furrowed in annoyance and I felt as if now would be a good time to pack up my stuff and go.

So, I began to slowly inch towards my easel.

Sadly, Zuko caught me.

"…and _what_ makes you say that?" Tori flashed the prince a smile, ignoring the little voice that yelled,

**_HE BLUSHED!_** As well as she could.

"Cuz you did." Zuko sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"That's not an answer, you know." Tori shrugged and began to pack up her stuff.

"I couldn't care less."

"…so…you come out here to hide?" Zuko didn't know why it was _him_ breaking the awkward silence. Normally it was the other person, because normally, the person walking next to him could have dropped dead and he wouldn't care.

Unless it was Iroh…or the Avatar…but, Zhao could drop dead anytime he wanted to. Preferably soon.

"Yeah." Tori linked her hands behind her head as they (slowly) walked back to the inn. "If I'm there, it's just boring. I need one day a week just for _me_. I could do with more, but now, I just take whatever chances I get."

"…you're not saying something." Tori raised an eyebrow.

"Since when did _you_ get so good at reading people?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Tori gave him a cheeky grin and Zuko felt his face heat up again and looked away.

_Dammit! Not again!"_

_**You like her! You like her!**_

_SHUT UP!_

_**Don't wanna. **_

"…and that's why I always sneak off on this day." Tori finished and Zuko's head snapped up.

"Huh?"

**xXxXxXxX**

Iroh had woken up alone in the room he shared with his nephew but did not worry. It wasn't the first time Zuko had disappeared overnight.

At noon, he still wasn't worried. At least, until he got a sudden feeling that his nephew was in potentially life-threatening danger.

**xXxXxXxX**

And he was.

**xXxXxXxX**

"IF YOU'RE GOING TO ASK A QUESTION, AT LEAST **_PAY ATTENTION_** TO THE ANSWER!" Tori roared, hitting Zuko on the back on the head.

"Ouch! Tori-! Tori-! STOP!" Zuko finally roared back, batting her hands **(currently hitting him on the head and shoulder) **away. Tori stopped, but continued to scowl at him.

"Well then pay attention when I'm talking to you!" Zuko couldn't help but slightly smirk.

"…why?"

**xXxXxXxX**

There it was _again!_ Why couldn't Iroh shake this feeling that Zuko was in trouble? It was really annoying too…

**A/N: sorry again…but I had soccer try-outs all week…in fact, I have them today, but it's thundering, lightning, really windy, pouring…and hailing…all at once. **

**dl: …every party needs a pooper, that's why we invited _you!_ Every party needs a pooper, that's why we invited _you!_ (continues) **

**Zuko: make…her…stoooopppppppppppp!**

**dl: -in break from singing- I won't stop 'less you review! –continues singing- **

**Zuko: FOR THE LOVE OF AGNI! _REVIEW!_ SHE'S DRIVIGN ME _INSANE!_**


	7. The Challenge

**A/N: sorry once more…but if you read the little note at the bottom of chap 6 of Fate Bites, and then you'll know that my aunt was here. Turns out, the day _she_ left, my _grandma_ came for the weekend. THEN I had Teens on Tour and it is the BEST CAMP EVAH! So far we've gone to Players, King's Dominion, a FANTABULOSA Splash-Down (MUCH better than the lame one I live near…), and a Dorney Park (THE BEST AMUSMENT PARK EVER!) overnighter. AND! TOMORROW (Saturday) I'm seeing Spam-a-lot. Sweet. (Ok, I know Saturday was a few days ago, but work with me here. My view on it is in the newest chap of Fate Bites.) Then, on Monday, we got a tour of the Raven's stadium. Pretty boring, but we got to go out on the field. **

**And get this, we weren't allowed to bring footballs. To a FOOTBALL field. But we could bring soccer balls. (I shot mine through that goal-thingie that looks like a Y and got yelled at. –shrugs- oh well, it was awesome.) I lay on that thing on the 50 yard line and made a turf-angel. Then we went to a duck-pin bowling place. THAT was kinda stupid, but I got his awesome sticker-thing form one of the machines there. It's a bear and it says, 'I'm only here to annoy you.' It's awesome.**

**Tuesday, we went to Rehobeth. (Which my computer doesn't think is a word. Stupid computer. Zuko: Or maybe you just spelled it wrong. Me: WHO ASKED YOU! And why are you here, anyways? OUT, OUT, OUT!) And I saw (and bought) this awesome happy bunny shirt that says, 'If you want your ass kicked, all you have to do is ask.' And I LUV IT! **

**Wednesday, we went to Six Flags, and we went in the WAVE POOL! I LOVE WAVE POOLS! **

**Zuko: Who cares? And you spelled Wednesday wrong the first time. **

**Me: I DO! And you did too. Now shut up and go away. And then, Thursday, we went to Hersheypark (and yes, it _is_ one word…don't ask me why, but it is…) and…that was it. We didn't have anything today. (Friday.) **

**Oh, and thanks to yourmaster, Justareader, Raaon Teisha and Nilikeye for reviewing. You _may_ just have saved Zuko from insanity. (well, he was _already_ insane-) Ouch! Why'd you hit me? **

**Zuko: you deserved it! That annoying song of yours has been stuck in my head ever since! RRGH! Start. Running. Now. **

**dl: but-!**

**Zuko: You have three seconds before I kill you. **

**dl: …I was just leaving. –runs off screaming- -skids to a stop & yells back- WAIT! The Disclaimer!**

**Zuko: _fine_. dancinglemur –for the remainder of her _short_, _near to a close_, life- does _not_ own ATLA. –runs off after her- **

The Challenge

"…you're mad, aren't you?" Tori snorted.

"No shit, Sherlock. How long did it take you to notice?" Zuko slightly winced at the sarcastic tone in Tori's voice.

"Look," He sighed. "Was it really that bad that I ignored you?" Tori's only reply was a piercing glare. "…I'll take that as a yes."

After a while, Tori stopped, plopped down onto a root and sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Look," she said after a while, looking up at him. "I've just been having a bad week, and I'm in a **p**retty, **m**ad **s**tate of mind. Got it?" Zuko turned red.

"Yeah." He said quickly, eager to move onto a different subject. Tori got up, and she continued to lead Zuko through the forest, and back to the inn.

But she didn't stop at the inn.

She stopped in front of the _biggest_ tree the young prince had _ever_ seen.

"Um, Tori?" She smiled and leaned up against the tree.

"Ok, Zuzu. I have a little challenge for you. Are you up to it, or are you too chicken?" He glared at her. "And if you loose, please don't scream your little girly scream." _Count to 10, Zuko…_ "Cuz I still think it's _hilarious_ that the _Fire Prince_ has a high-pitched, squeaky scream like a 3-year-old." _Count…to…ten-oh, screw it. _

"THAT'S _IT_! I'LL TAKE YOUR STUPID CHALLENGE, AND YOU KNOW DAMN WELL I'LL WIN!" Tori smirked. _Temper, temper, temper, princey. _

"Ok, ok." She held up her hands, a smirk on her face. "And the challenge is," The smirk became evil, and Zuko got a _very_ bad feeling. (Though it was ignored, since he was still pissed.) "Tree climbing."

**-AT THE INN-**

"Ah, General Iroh. _Just_ the man I was looking for. " Iroh looked up form his ginseng tea, and into a face that had recently become all too familiar. He resigned himself to boredom as he donned the mask of politeness he had formed in his early teens and greeted the man before him.

"Admiral Zhao, how nice to see you again. What brings you to this humble town?"

**X**

"_Tree climbing!_" Zuko seethed and Tori smirked.

"You scared?"

"NO!" Tori blinked, wiped the spit off her face and continued,

"Ok then. The challenge is simple. The first one to get to the top wins." Zuko immediately jumped for the lowest branch, which was a good 10 feet in the air, and had grabbed it, only to come crashing down as Tori grabbed his ankle and pulled. "Not so fast. I'm not done explaining." Zuko glared at her from where he had landed on the ground. "But, to make this more interesting, how about a prize?" Zuko raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of prize?"

**X**

"So, you are here to purchase a new servant?"

"Yes. I've heard that there is a trouble maker here, and that the head of this inn is offering money to whomever will take the girl." Iroh felt a chill go down his spine. _Tori…_ "Oh, I'm sorry, Admiral, but I heard talk that the girl's contract is being held for some unknown person. A general, apparently."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

_Me, but I'm not going to tell **you** that…_ "No idea."

**X**

"If _I_ win, you have to teach me how to read and write." Zuko blinked in surprise, and was shocked enough to ask,

"You don't know?" Tori scowled.

"Well duh! Who has the time –or even _wants to_, for that matter- to teach a troublesome slave how to read and write!" Zuko looked like a child caught doing something bad.

"Sorry." He muttered, glancing off to the side. "Well, what if _I_ win, then what?" Tori thought.

"Ah ha! I know!"

**X**

"Well, thank you for dropping by, Admiral, but these old bones of mine tire easily, so I think I'll take a nap. Goodbye." Iroh bowed and began the walk up to his room. _This is serious news. Where **is** that troublesome nephew of mine? He needs to know about this. Miss Tori too._ Instead of turning right at the stairway, Iroh turned left and instead headed for the kitchens, where he knew someone would be able to tell him where Tori was.

**X**

"…so, if I win, you'll get me information on where the Avatar is?" Tori nodded.

"True you know that he's going to the North Pole, but, do you know his exact course? Cuz this guy does."

"Impossible. No one's been able to track his exact location." Tori smirked.

"That's cu they're not Uncle Ma."

Silence.

"Who?"

"He's our local fortune teller."

"I don't believe in stuff like that." **(The ONLY thing -besides the fact that they're both male humans- Sokka and Zuko have in common.)**

"Fine then. But, a few days ago, before you got here, he told me I'd meet someone whose life I saved, and who saved mine back. And _you're_ the only one that meets that criteria."

_**It's worth a shot…**_

_Oh, shut up._

**_Well, what happens if this 'Uncle Ma' –stupid name, buy the way- really can pinpoint the Avatar's position?_**

_..Well, I'll try it. _

"Fine." Tori smiled, and Zuko fought the blush he felt rising in his neck and face.

"Ready." He got up. "Set." They both crouched. "PEANUT BUTTER!" He jumped, and then fell on his rear as Tori laughed. "Sorry! Sorry!" She hastily apologized when he ignited his fists. "For real this time. Ready! Set! GO!" They both jumped up and caught the branch, but Zuko was a second slower in pulling himself up than Tori, giving her a head start that started as a second, and quickly multiplied into half the tree.

Before Zuko knew it –and was only halfway up- Tori was standing on the top-most branch, grinning down.

"I win!" Suddenly, there was a loud crack and the branch Tori was standing on began to fall.

Zuko looked up to see a screaming Tori –accompanied by a rather heavy branch- falling towards him.

"Whoa!" He reflexively dodged, grabbing Tori out of the branch's path…and out above open ground.

**X**

Tori had closed her eyes as they neared the ground, so all she knew when the silence fell, and the sensation of falling stopped, was that she was lying, face down, on something soft.

_It's probably the grass._ She thought as she began to pry open her eyes. But, the grass didn't have arms that wrapped around her, pulling her closer into what she now knew was…a kiss.

She opened her eyes, and they widened in surprise.

It wasn't _grass_ she had fallen on.

It was _Zuko_.

**A/N: Ah, fluff. You gotta luv it. Yes, I know the chapter was short, but it's sweet too. (or at least I think so.) -hears yell of 'YOU'RE DEAD WHEN I CATCH YOU!' in distance- aaannnnddd, that's Zuko. Please review soon or I may not survive to write the next chapter -cries- I just finished planning out the whole story too. oh crap, he's getting closer. Bye! -runs off- **


	8. Mud Fight

**A/N: Howdy, y'all! **

**Tori: …question mark. (Me 'n Sam say that all the time when we're confused…which is a lot.)**

**Me: yes. I'm talking like a Texas person. Get over it. **

**Tori: -rolls eyes and smiles- whatever. **

**Me: yes. NOW! I found something out recently. **

**T: oh?**

**Me: yes. Your name means, drum roll please, "bird" in Japanese!**

**T: -sweat drop- bird? **

**Me: Well, it's that or "rooster"…**

**T: oh no! Bird's fine! **

**Me: yup. It's cool too. AND NOW! DA DISCLAIMER!**

**T: dancinglemur does NOT own ATLA. If she did, Azula would be hanging upside down from her ankles in some moldy cell, and Mai…well, you don't want to know. –sticks tongue out at Mai- but, let's just say, she wouldn't be chasing after Zuko… **

**Me: damn straight. Speaking of Mai, while looking for names for other ideas, I found out that Mai means "Brightness" how ironic is that? **

**T: Very. Oh! And Kaia is dl's name for the earth goddess.**

**Me: And now…HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!**

**Zuko: …you're late. **

**Me: NO, I'M NOT-looks at calendar- KUSO, I AM! **

**T: since when did _you _start speaking Japanese?**

**Me: T.T what is the world coming to when fictional characters mock their creators? –Shakes fist at sky-**

**Z: For your information, _you_ didn't create me. **

**Me: I feel so unloved… -sobs forlornly in corner-**

**Z: oh _get over it._ **

**T: aww, it's ok. He's just mad cuz he didn't get hit by lightning in the last eppie… cough-strange-cough.**

**Z: -glare-**

**T: -whistling innocently- **

**Me: ok now, y'all, to show you how much your reviews make me all warm and fuzzy inside, you should know that I'm typing this with ONE ARM!**

**Z: …eh?**

**Me: yes. I got a spider bite on my elbow. **

**Z: So?**

**Me: _So, _I'm allergic to spiders, baka.**

**T: oh.**

**Me: And now, I can't move it without screaming in pain, so I can only type with one arm, so it's late. **

**T: what's late?**

**Z + Me: …the chapter.**

**T: oh. I knew that…**

Mud Fight

Zuko had seen Tori falling, and his reaction took only seconds. He leapt, tackling her out of the branch's path. Holding onto her tightly, he turned so he would land first. There was a moment of pain, before a numbness that spread from the back of his head and back to his entire body.

_Tori…is she ok?_ His arms tightened around the body in his arms, and the dazed teen vaguely realized something.

They were kissing.

His eyes snapped open, confused gold meeting equally confused green. Both turned red, but neither made the first move to break the kiss.

Suddenly, a screech broke through the still air, dangerously close to the duo, who jerked apart at the sudden sound.

"TORI! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU LAZY WENCH? THERE'S CHORES TO BE DONE!" Tori sighed, and slowly began to get up.

"Why does the loudest woman in the inn like pestering _me _and no one else?" Pale, warm arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back down.

"Who knows? But it can wait." And with that, Zuko kissed her again, and now that it wasn't an accident, Tori was only too glad to return it. **(Ok, just letting you know: THEY ONLY KISSED. NOTHING ELSE!) **

o0O0o

Tori fairly danced through her chores, a dreamy look on her face that not even Melissa's harshest scolding could break through.

"What's with you today, Tor?" Tori sighed happily over the bucket of slop she was bringing to the pig-things out back.

"Me? Oh, nothing Tammy. Nothing at all."

o0O0o

Zuko slipped back into his room, and spent the rest of the day staring out the window at the woods, his eyes glazed over as he relived that perfect moment over and over, a small smile playing about his lips, and experiencing a feeling he had though he never would after he was banished:

Happiness.

o0O0o

Of course, their strange behaviors did not go unnoticed by those around them. **(I mean, seriously. Who here has _ever _seen Zuko smile because he was genuinely happy, and not cuz of something Aang-related? Eh? WHO! Wow, that little kid looking in Zuko's window just started to cry…HEY! A FLYING PIG!) **Alas, most of the people they were around were complete blockheads, and thus did not connect the facts that both had been missing for an hour or so earlier in the day, and now both were back and as happy as could be.

The only two who _did_ connect it was Iroh and Tammy.

Everyone else was just stupid.

o0O0o

"Ok Tor. _What happened_?" Tori snapped out of her bliss at the scary tone in her friend's voice.

"Eh? Uh…nothing?" Tammy grabbed the front of Tori's shirt and began shaking her back and forth.

"WHAT HAPPENED!" By now, Tori's eyes were little swirlies.

"O-ok Tammy. J-just m-make the world stop spinning…" She whimpered and Tammy dropped her, seeming to snap out of something.

"Oh. Did I do it again?" Tori nodded, holding her spinning head. "Sorry."

"'s okay." She mumbled. You see, Tammy suffered from a sadly common disease called…well, I forget what it's called, but it makes them obsessed with knowing _every single thing_ that goes on in other's lives. Mostly, it's restricted to people who buy EVERY ONE of those Star magazines. Now, one or two is fine, but EVERY SINGLE ONE? I think that's a little obsessive. BUT! Basically, Tammy suffers from wanting to know all the gossip. We'll call it…Gossip Grabbing. **(Ok, sucky name, I know, BUT WORK WITH ME HERE, PEOPLE!)**

And so, after that whole, long, confusing thing-a-ma-bob, Tori told her friend what had happened.

For Zuko, it was a different story.

o0O0o

"Uncle, _what. Is. That?_" said prince hissed, staring in horror at the_ thing_ his uncle was holding up.

It was a book.

A _pink_ book.

With little red and white hearts on it.

And lace.

_Lots_ of lace.

And a stupid-looking little picture of this stupid-looking girl.

Well, to _Zuko_ she was stupid-looking, but that's cuz he was in luv. To the girlfriend-less male, she would have been _very_ attractive, but to every girl, bf or not, they would have wanted to burn it at first sight. Do y'all know that horrible _thing_ I'm talking about?

It was called: LET'S DISCUSS OUR FEELINGS! A BOOK FOR YOUNG PEOPE BY MARY SUE.

Ah, that disgusting creature commonly known as the Mary Sue. How we hate her.

"It's a wonderful book I found at the market, Prince Zuko! I've noticed how you feel about Miss Tori," Zuko choked on his water, spraying it all over the poor boy holding the rest of his uncle's stuff. "And decided to give you two a push in the right direction-" As he gave several coughs that sounded suspiciously like "grandchildren", Zuko swiped the book and stomped out the door. "Where are you going, Prince Zuko?"

"I'm going to go burn this Sprits-damned _thing_!" He yelled over his shoulder. But, when Iroh closed the door, Zuko looked both ways to make sure no one was coming, sat down and opened the B.O.D. (Book of Doom) as he had christened it and began to read.

And, that is how Iroh found his nephew an hour or so later, fast asleep with his face in the book, a little puddle of drool leaking from the corner of his mouth and onto the pages. **(hey, he was out all night stalking-I mean, _following_ Tori. And no, he is _not_ holding me at torch-point, making me type what he wants-forget I ever said anything.)**

"Huh? Wha?" Zuko blinked sleepily as a barely-stifled snort from his uncle woke him up. He turned red and jumped up, waving his hands and trying to hide the book at the same time. "Un-Uncle! I-it's not what it looks like-!" But was interrupted by a cheerful greeting that made his blood run cold.

"Hiya, ZuZu!" **_Please_, **_Agni;__let it not be her!_ But, when he turned around, yep. There was Tori, running down the hall. He whipped around, hiding the book behind his back as she ran up to him. "Whassat?" She leaned to the side, trying to see what he held behind him.

"Uh, nothing! Nothing at all!" He tried to run back into the safety of his room, but Tori blocked the way, continuing in her efforts to get the book.

Finally, he put his hand on her forehead and pushed her back, so that her swiping hands couldn't reach behind him.

"Meanie!" She wailed. "Lemme _see_!" Zuko smirked, pulling his other hand from behind his back to reveal…a pile of ashes.

"See _what_?" Tori blinked a few times at the ashes, the pulled away from his hand, crossed her arms and began to pout.

"You're no fun, ZuZu." He scowled.

"Stop calling me that." She stuck her tongue out.

"Make me." His scowl increased.

Two hours later, he was still scowling.

"C'_mon_, ZuZu! It'll be fun!" Tori beamed as she led him through the crowded market. "I have to pick up some stuff for the inn, and you can buy that book for your uncle!" He only scowled more. "You know, if you keep on doing that, your face'll stick." A snort of laughter escaped before Zuko could stop it and Tori only smiled brighter. "See? You really _don't_ want your face to stick like that. Cuz then you'd always look like you just swallowed a sour sucker." Another snort broke through and Tori laughed, the sound of which made Zuko's scowl lighten up a bit.

"Fine." He sighed, and let Tori grab his hand to lead him further into the market.

o0O0o

"_Kchht. _This is…damn, what's my name? …Ah! Uh…damn, I forgot… Well, Damn, I Forgot to Tea Lover. D.I.F to T.L. Do you copy? Over."

"Miss Tammy, I am right here. You do not need to-"

"_Kchht._ Tea Lover, _do you copy? _Over._"_ Iroh sighed. There was no reasoning with this girl.

"Tea Lover to…do I really have to say it? Fine, Damn, I Forgot, I copy." He sighed. True, Tammy knew her way around the market, and how sneak around, which made her irreplaceable in his Spy on Zuko and Tori mission, but she was…kinda _strange_, for lack of a better word.

"You have to say 'Over'!"

"Fine, _Over_."

It was going to be a long day.

o0O0o

"Ey! Tori!" "Emmy!" Zuko shifted his weight from foot to foot inside the shop, feeling out of place in the wooden shack.

"Emmy" was a middle aged Earth Kingdom woman dressed in a Chinese outfit that consisted of her country's colors. **(A high-colored dark green shirt w/a gold under-suit thing, sash and buttons, green pants and brown boots.)** And with her dark brown hair in a thick braid down her back.

"And who's this?" Emily asked, leaning around Tori to get a better look at Zuko. Immediately, she turned back to Tori, confusion all over her face. "Fire Nation. Tori, why in the world are you hanging out with _Fire Nation? _And _why_, in Kaia's name did you bring him here!"

"Um…because?" A glare told Tori that her answer was not satisfactory. "Uh…because we're…going out?" Zuko fell over, Tammy burst into laughter, and Iroh started grinning this scary grin, thinking, _GRANDKIDS! _

o0O0o

"WHEN DID YOU DECIDE THAT!" Zuko whispered at the top of his lungs **(wow, that's contradictory…)** as Tori, smiling broadly (and fakely), dragged him out of the shop before Emily could shower them with anymore "engagement" gifts.

"Since…when has…'going out'…meant we're…getting ma-married?" She wheezed as they dropped off their armloads of stuff in the Prince's room, before heading out to the market again.

"Who knows? But really, Tori you can't just _announce_ randomly that we're going out! I mean-" Tori put a finger over his lips and dragged him into an alleyway as a large group of boys and men all in green and gold passed by. "What?" He whispered.

"Ssh! Do you _want_ them to find us?" "Who're they?" Zuko asked from where his face was shoved against the wall. When they had passed by, Tori dragged Zuko out of the alley and they continued to walk through the market.

"_They_ are a gang called 'The Benders'. Yes, it's a stupid name, I know." She smiled at Zuko's snort of laughter. "All the people here are more afraid of _them_, than the Fire-Soldiers." "Hmm. So…_why_ were we hiding?" Tori stopped, blinked a few times at him, and then hit herself in the head.

"You just don't _get _it, do you?" And before he could blink, Zuko was dragged into another alley. "Everyone's afraid of them, _not_ because of their bending, but because of their _connections_." Zuko blinked and she sighed. "You still don't get it, do you? When I first came here, I disrespected them." "What'd you do?" Tori smirked.

"Their leader at the time, I forget his name, was hitting on me, so I kicked his ass into the next week. Before I knew it, I had triple stable duty, and "accidents" started happening." She lifted up her left pants leg to just above her knee, revealing a long scar that started below her knee-cap and went up to about mid-thigh. "I was out getting water from the river, and they came up from behind me and started to beat me up. When they got tired of that, the leader had them pin me down, and split my knee-cap with a rock, and then had them throw me into the river. I washed downstream a good mile or so, until a band of traveling Waterbenders dragged me out and healed up my knee." She was quiet for a moment, before quietly whispering, "They saved my life." She looked up at him and continued.

"Up till then, I had been taught that all Fire Nationers were brutal killers, and all those of the Water Tribes were savages. After that, I though about what I had learned. The people who saved me were just as human as I, or any other person I know. They weren't savages, so why were all Earth Kingdomers against them? Then I thought: what if Fire Nationers aren't too bad either?" She smiled at him. "And you and your uncle proved me right on that one."

o0O0o

"Ok, so let me get this straight," Zuko stated as he lay in the grass as Tori watched the clouds pass overhead.

But, whatever the Prince was about to say was drowned out by a roll of thunder, followed shortly by Melissa's scream of, "TORII!" Said girl sighed. "Well, duty calls!" And took the offered hand as Zuko pulled her up and the two walked (slowly) back to the Inn.

"Hey, this'll only take me a while." Tori said as she walked into the kitchen to gather up the leftovers. "First, I have to feed the lion-pigs, **(ok, I admit, that one was borrowed from One Piece, but most of the animals in ATLA are weird combos, and I didn't feel like creating a combo) **then just rake up the poop out back." Zuko pulled a face and his newly announced girlfriend playfully shoved him. "Hey, you could always help, you know. After all, you spent 14 out of 16 years living in a palace, with servants tending to your every need." She emptied out the bucket of slop she was carrying and went back to the kitchen to scrub it out. "It might do you a bit of good to rake up some poo." "Ohhhh no."

"Actually, nephew, I think it's a _wonderful_ idea." Zuko twitched at his uncle's voice. "Uncle-!" But Iroh had already walked away, leaving Zuko to sulk.

"Hey, bf." Zuko twitched. "I NEVER AGREED TO THAT!" Hurt and sadness flashed across Tori's face, before they receded just to her eyes, leaving the rest of her face an emotionless mask. "D-does that mean you…don't like me?" She asked, her voice all teary, and tears in the corners of her eyes. "O-of course not!" Zuko flustered, bright red and waving his hands around in a panic. "Of course I like you!" "How much?" She softly asked, red as well, and not looking at him, instead taking interest in the newly made mud beneath their feet, as the rain made her hair fall over her face and her ponytail limp against her soaking back. "A-A lot! L-Like a girlfriend-!" Suddenly, he was glomped, falling back onto his butt in the mud. "YAY!" Tori happily yelled, all traces of sadness gone, but still as red as Zuko. **(Which was pretty red.)**

Alas, the moment was ruined when one of the lion-pigs decided it didn't like Zuko.

"What the-!" Zuko had the time to yell, before he was head-butted from behind, falling onto Tori, pushing her into the mud. "Hey!" "Stop it!" Zuko yelled at the thing, which continued to head-butt him, until he finally lost his patience and singed its tail.

"Uh…ZuZu?" Zuko automatically turned around, inwardly wincing as he realized that he now responded to that name, as well as his original one. "What, Tori?" "That wasn't a full grown Lion-pig." She was slowly inching away, her eyes on something behind him. "Your point?" "That was a baby." Then she turned tail and fled for the safety of the stables, screaming at the top of her lungs just as Zuko felt a snort of putrid air on the back of his neck. Dreading what he was about to see, he slowly turned around.

His eyes grew wide, and he gasped, "Oh, Agni." Before sprinting for the stables just as Tori had, pursued by a 10 foot tall, full grown mother Lion-pig.

Which, of course, gave chase.

Screaming **(like a little girl- Zuko: I WAS _NOT_ SCREAMING! AND _DEFINATLY_ NOT LIKE A LITTLE GIRL! Me: You know, ZuZu, denial is a very common symptom in the depressed and angst-y teen- Zuko: I'M NOT DEPRESSED! Me: …right. So then, if you're not depressed, then WHY do you spend most of your time either training or sulking in your room? Zuko: …-searches for answers-…I DON'T sulk! I simply mediate. Me: riiiggghhhhtttt. Now, I have a chapter to finish. Shoo.) **Zuko ran around in circles in the mud and rain, _just_ as Iroh stuck his head out the window to check on him. By now, Tori was laughing her head off in the safety of the barn, that is, until she noticed that if someone didn't stop the thing…well, to put it simply, Zhao's dream **(no, not the one in which he marries Azula (though _why_ he would want to is beyond me…) **would come true, and Christmas…or whatever holiday they celebrate there… Well, MOVING ON…would come early, and she would be left without a victim-ah, I mean boyfriend.

So, she improvised.

And Tori isn't the best improviser in situations like this.

The next thing Zuko knew, he had been hit in the face with a pile of mud. "Play dead!" Tori hissed at him, and he did while the momma loin-pig sniffed at him, then sneezed and turned away.

He had been saved, but also hit in the face with mud and sneezed on. Tori _really_ should have thought her strategy through a little more.

"Eh heh heh…oops-?" Zuko retaliated by wiping the mud off of his face, then throwing it back at Tori, hitting her square in the face with enough force to make her fall over onto her back in the mud.

"Okay, princey! It is ON!"

And thus did Zhao see them through his window, covered in mud and laughing. Looking down form his second-story room, he didn't recognize Zuko immediately under the mud, but remembered Tori right away.

A smirk crossed his face. _So the bratty prince has fallen for a lowly slave?_

Why do you think he knew that they like each other?

Simple.

Because Zuko had just tackled Tori, who had retaliated by giving him a quick peck on the lips, then using his shock to squirm away and run for the tree-line.

_I can use this_. He turned away from the window and crossed the simple room to his desk, brushing aside a few sheets of paper, grabbing a pen and beginning to write.

**Sorry again for the wait, my inspiration kinda disappeared for a while, but thank god cuz now that the shows are gonna start airing regularly again, I think I might be able to guarantee you guys at LEAST one chapter a week. **

**BUT did u hear the news? The guy who voiced Uncle Iroh died! Rest in piece. **


	9. Parting Gift

**A/N: **Ok, ok. I'm sorry, people, but I am **DISCONTINUING **this story!!!!!! I've just moved on. Lost all inspiration, you know? I am REALLY sorry, but I just won't be able to write anymore. But, as a parting gift, here's something I wrote _forever _ago, and happens a bit further into the story.

Festivals

Grinning from ear to ear, Tori sprinted into the woods, Zuko close behind her. Suddenly, she turned around and ducked, so Zuko was forced to hurdle over her. As soon as he did so, she was up and running for the Inn, laughing.

Throwing open a door, (and "accidentally" into the guy who had grabbed her rear the other day) she ran for the steps, only to crash into Tammy.

"Tor-wha-?" Tori poked her on the head and ran off, scream over her shoulder, "You're it!"

Tammy turned, saw Zuko, smacked him right in the head, knocking him head over heels (_**Damn**, that girl is strong_ went through his head as he stared from where he lay (upside down, against the wall)proclaimed him 'it' and ran after Tori, yelling, "ZUZU'S IT!!"

o0O0o

From the hot springs, Iroh listened intently to the few moments of silence that accompanied that sentence, only to hear his nephew shout, "STOP _CALLING_ ME THAT!!" This was shortly followed by screams of laughter, as the three-person game of tag escalated to include the entire Inn. Chuckling, he leaned back and relaxed in the hot waters, a smile on his face.

o0O0o

Zuko ran through the halls of the Inn, which, strangely, seemed to be deserted, chasing after Tori, who would always be turning the next corner, just as he turned the last one; her long brown hair flicking round the corner after her, her laugh ringing in his ears.

o0O0o

Tori had never had so much fun. _For someone who's been training all his life, Zuzu's pretty slow-_ Since she had been looking over her shoulder, a wide grin on her face, Tori had been relying on memory to guide her through the halls. But, she hadn't counted on someone being in her way.

With a hard exhalation of air, she fell back onto her rear. "S-Sorry-" She laughed, shaking her hair out of her eyes so she could see who she had run into. Her pupils shrunk, and she began to babble nonsense, slowly trailing down to dead silence as she began to panic, her limbs shaking in fear. She just stared for a moment, before she screamed as loud as she had ever screamed in her whole life, and scrambled to her feet and running faster than she'd ever run in her life in the opposite direction.

o0O0o

Zuko frowned. He was lost. Tori had led him into a part of the inn that he had never seen before, and was now hopelessly lost.

Suddenly, he heard Tori scream. _Oh no…_He turned around and ran towards the scream. He wasn't the only one, as it turned out. Along the way, He and Tammy met up, and exchanged a few brief lines of dialogue ("what wassat?" "Tori." "shit") as they ran towards where they thought they had heard the scream…only to run into a hall that spilt into two.

"…She's this way!" They both shouted at the same time and ran in opposite directions, only to stop and stalk back to the intersection when each realized that the other wasn't following.

"Where the hell are you going? Tori's scream came from _that_ way!" Zuko screamed, gesturing over his shoulder.

"What are you _talking_ about, stupid? Her scream _clearly _came from _that_ way!" Tammy screamed right back, pointing at the hallway behind _her_. And so it continued, the two screaming obscenities at the other's obviously horrible sense of direction, because it was _obvious_ that they themselves were the right one.

But then, Tori ran, shrieking from the hallway Tammy had chosen, and straight to Zuko, almost knocking him down as she slammed into him, hugging him as she twirled so that he was between her and the way that she had come.

"…" "…I was RIGHT!! HA! IN YOUR _FACE_, ZUZU!!! I WAS RIGHT!!! HAHA!!!" Tammy started celebrating, only to stop and listen. Quickly, she turned on her heel and strode back towards the hall Tori had come from and pressed her ear against the wall, knocking twice.

A small panel slid open, and the person on the other side whispered something to the slave, who frowned as she nodded, sliding the panel shut as she turned back around and walked towards the couple, grabbing Zuko's arm in one hand, and Tori's in the other, pulling

**A/N: ok, that's where this chapter stopped, and here's something else I wrote. Background: Zuko has asked Tori to come back to the Fire Nation with him once he has captured Aang. Asked her, that is, to come as his _fiancé._ Yeah…I don't this Ozai's gonna like that. ANYWAYS, just when Tori had almost persuaded him to give up his crazy hunt, he gets word that the Avatar is headed towards the North Pole and immediately prepares to leave. **

"Zuko! Please, don't go!" Tori ran up the ramp-thingy and onto the deck of Zuko's ship.

The two kissed, while Iroh **(down at the bottom of the ramp)** did his "Happy Dance" at the sight of his nephew kissing a girl.

"Why not?" Zuko asked as they drew apart.

"'cause Uncle Ma **(FORTUNE TELLER)** foresaw the death of a Fire Nation man at the North Pole!"

"But Tori, I know for sure that that's where the Avatar is headed-" Tori cut him off.

"Is this pointless search for something you'll never get, more important that your life?!" Tears began to run down her face as she continued. "Your father never intended for you to-"

Zuko slapped her.

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH GIRL! WHEN I CAPTURE THE AVATAR, MY FATHER WILL WELCOME ME HOME WITH OPEN ARMS!" Tori slapped him right back and yelled,

"IF THAT'S TRUE, THAN **WHY** DID HE ORDER SOMEONE **ELSE** TO CATCH THE AVATAR TOO?!" Tori threw something small and hard at him, turned, and ran off the ship, crying so hard, she could barely see where she was going.

On her way down the ramp and back towards the inn, she brushed past Iroh, almost knocking him into the water.

"Prince Zuko? What happened?" Iroh asked his nephew once he reached the deck.

Zuko was silent as he looked down at what Tori had thrown at him.

It was the ring he had given her.

He drew back his hand to throw it into the bay, but Iroh caught his hand.

"Don't. Save it. Now, what was Miss Tori crying about?" Zuko sighed and slipped the ring into his pocket and whispered,

"She told me that Father never intended for me to catch the Avatar." Then Zuko brushed past his Uncle and quickly strode into the ship.

As he did so, Iroh could have sworn he saw a lone tear sparkling on his nephew's scarred cheek and sadly thought,

_It's over…_

**Tori's POV**

I ran, sobbing, into my room, collapsed onto my bed and began sobbing into my pillow. Just as I had stopped crying, the door opened.

"-and here we have-" Miss Cooper stopped talking when she saw me staring back at her in surprise from my bed. "Tori?! What are you doing here?!"

"This _is_ my room, Miss Cooper…" I trailed off as I saw a timid brown-haired girl in the same slave/servant outfit as me…with bags…

"Not anymore, it's not." my attention snapped back to Miss Cooper.

"What?! Why?!"

"I sold your contract."

"To who?!"

"To me." Admiral Zhao walked into the room, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"WHAT?!" I yelped, recoiling as if I had been hit. I looked between Zhao and Miss Cooper in panic and confusion.

"B-but y-you-you pr-pr-promised G-General I-Ir-Iroh that you-you'd h-hold my con-contract-!!" Zhao smirked at my panic-induced stutter. Miss Cooper just shrugged.

"The good Admiral paid 500 gold. General Iroh was offering 250. Who would've thought that trouble-making, rebellious, procrastinating Tori would make me so rich? She's trouble you know." She informed Zhao, who smirked.

"Don't worry; I'll _break_ her of that habit." I bristled.

_He talks of me as if I'm an animal to be trained!_ My eyes flickered around the room, looking for a route of escape. My eyes landed on my "window", which was just shutters, leading to the outside. Currently, they were half open.'

Keeping my eyes on the monkey-man, I slowly inched towards the window. But I froze when Zhao reached into a pouch at his waist **(MAN-BAG!!!) **and drew out a rust-red collar with a golden Fire Nation insignia stamped on it.

"No!" I shrieked. _I **recognize **that collar! That's a- _

"So, you've seen a Fire Collar before, Tori?" Apparently, my stark-white face answered his question. "I see you have. You should feel honored. This Fire Collar was custom made for you. It answers only to me," He paused and ignited his thumb, pressing it to the insignia, making it glow a molten gold, and the collar popped open. "and my fire. It was necessary, given your escape record."

"There is no way in _hell _I'm gonna let you put that god-damned thing on me." I spat at him. Zhao only laughed, a cold, humorless sound. He leaned in so close; I could smell his rancid breath.

"I don't recall giving you a choice." One of his hands shot out, shutting the shutters. **(Ha-ha…shutting the shutters…awkward silence -coughs- I'll just go over there… -slinks into corner-) **"So don't even _think_ about trying to escape." With a scream of fear and hate, I pushed Zhao away from me and into the wall, running into the hall; slipping on the freshly-waxed floor.

I burst out of the building and ran for the docks.

_Must find Zuko…Must find Zuko…Must find Zuko…_ was the only thought in my head as I ran into the dock-side market. Hope sprouted within me as I gained sight of the very top of Zuko's ship.

Then my whole world came crashing down. Several Fire Navy men in skeleton masks had blocked my path to Zuko's ship. I slid to a stop and ran into the opposite direction. While looking over my shoulder at the men, I bumped into someone, and before my vision had cleared, the person had pushed me around so that they were behind me and twisted one of my arms up behind my back, making me whimper and rise up on my toes to try and lessen the pain. I felt a moist breeze touch my ear and winced and turned my head away as Zhao whispered, "I told you not to think about it."

Then he shoved me back towards his men.

Two grabbed my arms, and another two grabbed my legs as a third grabbed my hair and yanked back on it, exposing my throat. I thrashed and screamed, but it did no good. I _did_ manage to kick one soldier in the crotch, but another just took his place. With one hand, Zhao unlocked my old collar, and let it and its key clatter to the ground, while he unlocked the Fire Collar and snapped it shut around my neck. I gagged.

_It's so frickin' tight!! _I shivered. The Fire Collar was burning hot too!

During my stays in various slave pens, I had seen too many slaves burn to death while wearing collars similar to the one around my neck now. _Maybe…_ It was time for an escape trick. Maybe I could get out of the collar's receiving distance before Zhao had time to activate it!

I went limp and predictably the soldiers all loosened their grips on me. I took the chance to pull loose and run into a near-by alley. Zhao let me get halfway. Halfway down the alley, I turned in time to see him snap his fingers, creating the _tiniest _flame imaginable. Then, everything went red with pain.

It felt as though every inch, every _centimeter, _of my body was on fire, causing me to loose my footing and tumble to the ground. And the physical pain I felt was _nothing_ compared to the mental pain. It felt as though someone had taken a red-hot poker and shoved it right into my brain, then scrambled everything around. I fell to the ground, screaming at the top of my lungs, holding my head and thrashing.

Zhao must have then extinguished the flame, because the pain suddenly stopped, leaving me shaking and panting, with silent tears of pain running down my face and curled up in a fetal position in a puddle. I heard footsteps echoing through the alley, but I didn't even have enough energy to sit up, let alone run away as someone grabbed my hair and pulled me up. I winced, and a new bout of tears ran down my cheeks as I groaned and cracked my eyes open to see Zhao smirking at me.

"That was just a tiny flame Tori; a tiny taste of what's to come. Disobey me, or try to escape again, and you will _beg_ for pain like you just experienced." He hissed, and then threw me at a soldier, who carried me onto his ship.

o0O0o

Tori was thrown into roughly into a cell and into the wall. Hard. Her head was ringing and she could taste blood in my mouth. Before she could fight back, four soldiers clamped shackles around her wrists.

"LET! ME! _OUT_!!!" She screamed, pulling at the chains and screaming. "YOU CAN'T _DO _THIS TO ME!!" Zhao turned around right out side the door, a wide smirk on his face, and merely said, "Yes I can." And then he walked away, ignoring the girl's enraged screams.

o0O0o

"The Admiral wishes to see you." A masked soldier informed Tori on the second day of her imprisonment. "Why?" She snapped, trying to get a reaction out of the cold-voiced man. He said nothing, merely unlocking her cage and grabbing her arm as he roughly hauled her to her feet, despite her screams that she could do it herself.

o0O0o

"What do you want, asshole?" Tori glared at the man lounging before her. Zhao smirked up at her. "I am having a business meeting with a few gentlemen, and would like you to take that time to practice your serving skills." Tori snorted. "Like hell."

o0O0o

_Damn him DAMN him DAMN HIM!!_ Tori mentally roared as she stared at the garment he expected her to wear with a look of utter disgust on her face, and replied once more to him, "Like hell."

o0O0o

_Damn him DAMN him DAMN HIM!!_ Tori was _wearing_ the goddamned thing. Her hands were shaking so hard with anger that the tea set she had balanced on the tray in front of her was rattling so hard that it was in danger of falling off.

As she stalked towards the appointed room, she saw that the door had fallen open just a crack, and soft candlelight, as well as whispered voices, one of which was Zhao's, where drifting out into the hall.

"So the plan is clear, gentlemen?" Murmured yeses. Now a new voice spoke up. "Yeah. Sneak on the brat's ship, set the explosives and BOOM! No more princey!" The voice cackled until there was the sound of a smack, and the second voice muttered "ouch."

_Prince…princey? PRINCEY?! _Tori remembered that she herself had once used that nickname to aggravate Zuko. _Zuko…OH MY GOD!! THEY'RE GONNA BLOW UP ZUKO'S SHIP!!_ She leaned against the wall to prevent collapsing, and stared down at her white-knuckled hands and they gripped the tray. Though it _did_ make sense, in a twisted sort of way to Zhao, she figured. Getting rid of Zuko would not only eliminate any potential rescue attempts, but also get rid of any competition for the Avatar's capture.

_I can't let him know I know._ She realized with a chill. _If he finds out…_ She shuddered. _But, if he **doesn't** find out that I know…I can warn Zuko!! _Tori calmed herself and knocked on the door, walking in and countering the lustful stares with glares and colorful insults, her mind already preoccupied with thoughts and plans of escape.

o0O0o

Two days later, Zhao walked up, a wide smirk on his face and his hands behind his back.

"Come to gloat _again_ over that damn dress, asshole?" Tori snapped from where she paced in her cage, now back in her normal clothes.

"Well, that wasn't my original plan, but now that you mention it, why not?" He walked forwards, keeping his hands behind his back as he leered at her through the bars. "You know, I don't see why you insist on wearing those horrid tomboy closes all the time." "It's better than a skirt that shows perverted old men my ass." Tori was in no mood to be polite.

Zhao scowled. "If you continue to address _your master_ in that tone, I shall have to punish you." "Bite me, ass wipe." He chuckled at her defiant response. "I believe that the next time some obscenity comes out of that pretty little mouth of yours," His hand reached out and grabbed Tori's face, dragging her as close to the bars as her chains would allow, his ragged nails digging into her skin and effectively shutting her "pretty little mouth". "I shall have to dock you…say, your shirt, for starters?" The crewmembers behind him gave out a cheer at this as Tori turned dead white, already imagining those disgusting men leering at her through the bars all day, and God! If they had keys…She began to shake in Zhao's grip, terrified at the thought.

Seeing her properly subdued, Zhao released her as he pulled his other hand from behind his back, revealing a small metal circle the size of his palm. Tori all but leapt away, shaking as she backed up to press her back against the cold metal.

"Y-you- you wouldn't-" He smirked.

"I would. I should. I can. I will." The metal in his hands turned cherry red as he unlocked the door and strode through.

By now, Tori was pressed against the wall as if she could sink through it and was wishing she could. Zhao grabbed her shoulder, his nails digging though the thin fabric of her shirt to pierce her skin. She whimpered, tears stinging her eyes as she tried to push him away.

"Let go!" She now screamed, kicking him away, but only for a moment. He returned, stronger than before, and before she could do anything, he punched her across the face, spinning her around, and then grabbed the back of her head and slammed her, face-first, into the wall, stunning her long enough to be dragged out and into the waiting arms of the crew.

As she weakly struggled against them, Tori found her hair pulled, her arms (and other parts of her body) rudely grabbed, and one man even placed a rough, sloppy kiss on her mouth, only to fall back screaming with a bleeding tongue and lip. But, there were too many of them. Still, a good portion would be seeing the ships' doctor _very _soon…

Anyways, pinned against a wall by a hand on her neck and others holding down her arms and legs, Tori felt the neck of her shirt torn to reveal the upper left-hand part of her suntanned back, right over her left shoulder blade. A slight sting in her neck signaled that Zhao had lit something up.

"What the-!?" She bit out, before something burning hot was pressed into the skin of her back.

o0O0o

Training on the deck, Zuko heard a faint sound that sounded like a scream of pain. Turning to see his uncle walking onto the ship, he rushed over.

"Uncle, did you hear that? What was it?" Iroh raised his head, the sadness on his face startling his nephew.

"Miss Cooper has informed me that our offer for Tori and her freedom has been turned down in place of a greater offered sum by another man." It took Zuko a moment to process this. And when he did, it wasn't pretty.

"WHAT!?!" He roared. "THAT HAG PROMISED SHE WOULD HOLD IT FOR US!! WHO BOUGHT HER!?!"

"I-It pains me to say…"

"What, Uncle? Who?"

"Admiral Zhao."

"WHAT?!"

o0O0o

Zhao ripped the brand out of the screaming girl's shoulder, mercilessly poking the still-smoking wound.

"S-s-stop it!" She screamed. "P-p-pl-please!" But he ignored her.

"Hmm. It still isn't clear enough. I want _everyone_, and I do mean _everyone_ to know who you belong to, my dear." More and more tears rolled down Tori's face, from internal pain at his words, and external pain as he pressed the red-hot brand into her shoulder again.

o0O0o

Tori was dieing, little by little. With each new burn, hit and cruel remark, another part of her fell into the darkness. But with the darkness came anger. And with anger comes the strength to use it

"BASTARD!!!" She screamed, pulling out of his grasp, grabbing the wrist that held the brand, and, her hand tightening until a loud crack was heard, pulled him forwards, so his nose had a rather unfortunate meeting with her fist.

Pushing past all the shocked sailors, Tori ran out into the hall, tears and the smell of burning flesh trailing behind her as she jumped off the railing and into the icy water that held back the burning pain from her neck and back.

Her head resurfaced in the harbor by Zuko's boat. In the twilight, she pulled herself up, slipping a few times, until she was resting on the rough wood of the pier.

"Almost there." She whispered to herself, pushing herself up and running towards the ship; towards Zuko; towards the light; towards salvation.

"Zuko!" She happily yelled, running up the ramp, only to be sent flying back into a near-by building as the ship exploded. "NO!!" She screamed, struggling gout from under the wreckage, running out of the spectacular hole she had made in the wall, only to find a huge, floating bonfire.

"No." she gasped, falling to her knees, staring up through her tears at the ship, where-in was the charred remains of the man she loved.** (Or so she thought.) **"NO!!! NO! ZUKO!!" She tried to run into the flames, but hands held her back. She struggled, reaching out in vain towards the tear-blurred flames. "ZUKO!!"

"Tori! TORI! IT'S USELESS- oh spirits, child. What happened to you?" Iroh whispered in horror as he saw the burns, the bruises and the brand.

But she could not answer. Tori could just stare at the flames in shocked horror through the tears running so think down her face, she could barely see. "No." She gasped again, refusing to accept what had just happened. "No."

But if that was bad enough, it just got worse.

The clang of metal boots on wood announced the arrival of Zhao and his soldiers. "General Iroh! What happened here?" From her trance beside Iroh, Tori numbly whispered,

"Why does he ask? He _knows_. He ordered it done." For the first time in years, Iroh felt rage unfurl its dangerous, fiery blossoms in his heart and soul and stick in its thorns to stay. _Zhao_ had ordered the death of his nephew? He was ready to kill the man right then and there, but Tori again mumbled in that horrible, empty voice, "There will be a time for revenge; a time for sorrow; and a time for rage. Those times are not now. Now is the time for pretending." That voice was horribly blank, just as blank as her emerald eyes, which looked without seeing as tears flowing down her face.

"_There_ you are." Zhao snarled at Tori, dragging her up by her arm. She made no move to resist him as he dragged her back to the ship, only staring back at the burning ship, tears dripping down her face to soak the remains of her shirt.

o0O0o

Zuko dragged himself from the waters of the bay, coughing up saltwater and trying to figure out what the _hell_ had just happened. Wiping the stinging water from his eyes, he looked up in time to see Zhao drag a crying, unmoving Tori up onto his ship, Iroh following behind, sadness visible in every fiber of his being.

_Zhao._ There was no doubt in the Prince's mind that the man who was dragging his girlfriend away was the one who had tried to kill him.

_You will pay for this, you conceited bastard._ He growled as he stalked after them, careful to keep to the shadows. _My "death" will give me an edge on you, but I need to find a way to tell Tori I'm alive. Tori…I won't let that ass hurt you anymore. I promise. _

**Tori POV**

I have lost the will to live. I live, but do not. My body lives on, but it's on auto-pilot, doing what it wishes; my heart and soul, however, have died.

"The Admiral wants food and refreshments. He and General Iroh are in his quarters." A soldier said. I nodded and made my way to the kitchen, walking with the slow, stumbling walk of one who has died inside.

**And here's an alternative ending to that scene**

Soaking burnt and scraped and not to mention pissed off, Zuko dragged himself out of the water, seeing his uncle walk away after Zhao, who was dragging Tori. Her tear-blurred eyes met his and her face lit up in happiness. Since only Iroh could see her face, he turned to see what she was looking at, and the relief and happiness to see him made Zuko feel like he belonged. His father, and _defiantly _never Azula had looked at him like that. His mother had, but- Zuko cut off that line of thought before it went into memories he had long buried.

o0O0o

Tori felt as if she had been trapped in a shadow for days, and then shoved back into the light. _He-He's alive! I-I can't believe it! _Now the tears flowing down her face were of happiness, though she kept her true feelings hidden behind a mask of shock. Never the less, Zuko saw her elation.

**Ok, once again, I'm sorry that I'm discontinuing this story, but I hope that this makes a nice parting gift. **

**-dancinglemur **


End file.
